1. Why the name ‘Abu Hanifah Foundation’?
Imam Abu Hanifah (may Allah have mercy on him) is the founder of one of the four schools of Islamic legal knowledge within the Sunni branch of Islam and the foremost Muslim educationalist.
Given his continuing and widespread influence on Islamic theory and practice, Imam Abu Hanifah is without question one of the Law’s Greats. One cannot fail to marvel at the creative, intelligent, pragmatic, and purposeful application of Islam by Imam Abu Hanifah—a great Muslim, a great jurist, a great man. His life’s work has affected billions of souls; surely that merits at least a greater recognition of his contribution to education.
2. Why should I send my child to AHF School?
We offer daily instruction in Qur’an, Arabic Language, Islamic Studies and Scouts. At the same time, we provide an atmosphere in which the students can practice their faith freely and receive feedback to improve their understanding of Islam. With our constant assessment of the syllabus we ensure we provide the children with an education which is meaningful and relevant to their lives as British Muslims.
Arabic language is an integral part of the Muslim faith and the language of the Qur’an. Therefore we believe it is vital the children are introduced to Arabic language from an early age. The Arabic syllabus we have adopted is specifically designed for non-Arab children, with an equal emphasis on Speaking, listening, writing and reading. The main focus is classical and modern standard Arabic taught by native Arabic speaking teachers.
We aim to provide an education which encompasses and engages the whole child, spiritually, emotionally, socially, intellectually and physically. The school system we seek is one where every child is inspired to develop a lifelong love of learning; where we are concerned not only with the instruction and training of the mind and the transmission of knowledge but also with the development of the whole being.
Scouting is a value based educational movement which offers an excellent balanced learning programme and shares it’s principles with AHF. Scouts provides a wonderful opportunity to our children to become involved in a range of activities, events and adventure. We firmly believe by introducing scouting, it will help children develop into balanced, wholesome, honest children with outstanding characters.
We offer an environment that is conducive to the intellectual, social, spiritual and physical growth of your child. The ambiance of the school will make the child proud to study there. Children excel in all aspects of life when they grow up in such a safe and nurturing environment.
We demand a great deal from our teaching staff. Our teachers will be actively and genuinely engaged in the teaching process and also trained in the latest pedagogical techniques. All of our staff are DBS cleared and given safeguarding and other training regularly.
We will utilise 21st century technology and pedagogical practices which will revolutionise the educational experience and enhance learning with the aim of empowering each child to explore his or her personal creativity, promote learning and improve productivity. The children have access to the latest Apple technology to accelerate their learning and introduce an element of fun and excitement.
We provide an individual tailored learning programme for each child, in agreement with the Parents. Individual Learning Plans (ILP) are implemented to ensure that programmes of education are adapted and modified to each individual according to their needs and abilities. Each child is recognised as having innate abilities, aptitudes and talents and it is our aim to develop these to the full through the ILP.
We aim to support parents whilst their child is in our care. We will have ‘Parent Support Networks’ which will give parents the opportunity to share their concerns, experiences and information. Calendar events will include parent training sessions, information workshops, social gatherings and performances to celebrate student achievement.
We aim to help our students develop into fully-rounded young adults. As such we do not simply focus on academic development but also place great importance on providing extra-curricular opportunities. We endeavour to cater for the widest possible interests and include, Sports clubs, leadership coaching, educational trips and much more.
3. How will the subjects be taught?
Students will be organised into small groups and all 3 subjects will be taught by specially trained teachers in that particular field. Instead of one teacher teaching all the subjects, the children will move from one classroom to the next. The classes will be organized in teaming arrangements with students seeing more than one teacher for their subjects.
4. What is the average class size?
At present we have an average of 12 children per class in our Arabic and Islamic Studies class, with an additional teacher’s assistant in some of the classes resulting in a 5:1 ratio ideally). In our Qur’an classes we have an average of 5 or 6 children per teacher. As we intend to use various educational methods, we feel the teacher will be connected at a much greater degree with each child.
5. Will my child be assessed?
Yes, your child will have a short assessment when he/she attends the first session. Parents are also invited to come in to discuss their child/children’s progress and any recommendations which the teachers have made.
The Principal and deputy Principal are always available to discuss student progress at any point in the school year.
Teachers primarily use the ‘School Management System’ (Bromcom) as a way of keeping parents informed about individual progress or issues.
Parents are welcome and encouraged to email or phone the school at any time with questions or concerns regarding student progress.
6. Where is the school (madrasah) located?
The school is presently located on 92 Preston New Rd, Blackburn, Lancashire BB2 6BH (formerly known as College House)
The building includes a day nursery approved and registered with Ofsted. To find out more please visit: https://littlediscoverers.org/
7. What is the school’s opening hours?
The school hours will be 5 pm to 8.30 pm, Monday to Friday. The early years finish at 7 pm whilst the older years finish at 7.30 pm. We also have an Alimiyyah Programme (advanced Islamic Studies) and Hifdh (Qur’an memorisation) classes. We also have a weekend school operating on Sundays from 10 am to 1 pm.
8. Are the Parents allowed to visit the school?
Parents are welcome to visit the school to meet the staff or discuss their child’s progress. However, the school policy requires that all visitors report to the office to sign in and secure a visitor’s badge before going to any part of the building. This policy has been created to avoid unnecessary interruption of classes and to assist in providing a safe and secure learning environment. Unfortunately, due to the high demand a parent tour of the building is not possible during operational hours and annual Parent Induction days are the only times when a visit is possible.
9. Financial Contributions
All payments received for our services are contributions. The actual operational costs are much higher than what most parents pay in terms of contributions.
Contributions are made based on affordability. If someone is unable to make the requisite contribution, alternative arrangements can be made but need to be discussed and authorised by the principal. All parents who can afford to pay the full operational costs are strongly encouraged to do so. All donations towards a bursary fund to help cover the cost of any shortfalls are very much welcome. All deficits are serviced through fundraising and donations. Any surplus funds are always reinvested within the organisation to increase the quality of the provision or enhance the service portfolio.